> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # U.S. ex rel. Conrad v. Rochester Regional Health - URL: https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/u-s-ex-rel-conrad-v-rochester-regional-health/ - Published: 1999-01-03T02:24:00.000Z - Updated: 2025-07-19T19:46:56.000Z - Author: Liam Sturgess - Tags: Profiles, #docs, #lawsuit **U.S. ex rel. Conrad v. Rochester Regional Health** is a case before the United States District Court for the Western District of New York involving a physician assistant terminated by her employer for blowing the whistle on failures to comply with Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) reporting requirements. The case number is 1:23-cv-00438-JLS-JJM. Warner Mendenhall of Mendenhall Law Group and Jeremy Friedman represent the plaintiff, Deborah Conrad, against Rochester Regional Health and United Memorial Medical Center, the defendants.[\[1\]](#fn1) ## History Deborah Conrad worked as a physician assistant for 21 years. In October 2021, she was fired from Rochester Regional Health for allegedly spreading "vaccine misinformation" and "over-reporting" [adverse events associated with COVID-19 vaccines](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/Averse-events-associated-with-COVID-19-vaccines) to VAERS.[\[2\]](#fn2) She then retained attorney Warner Mendenhall, and filed a lawsuit against her former employer on May 17, 2023, seeking damages, including back pay and civil penalties in violation of the *False Claims Act of 1863*.[\[3\]](#fn3) ### Decision On June 11, 2025, District Court Judge John Sinatra denied the defendants' motion to dismiss the case. The court found that Rochester Regional Health "had a material obligation to report serious adverse events to VAERS under their Provider Agreement with the [CDC](https://www.whiteroseintelligence.com/Centers-for-Disease-Control-and-Prevention)"; "the hospital's failure to report while continuing to seek federal reimbursement was potential fraud against the government;" the plaintiff's "detailed allegations were enough to meet the strict legal standards for fraud claims, even without access to internal billing records;" and that "she was probably fired for trying to expose the hospital's failure to report adverse events," allowing her retaliation claim against the hospital to go forward to discovery.[\[4\]](#fn4) ## Aftermath Following the decision, plaintiff's attorney Warner Mendenhall stated that "this decision establishes critical legal precedents." Specifically, that "VAERS reporting is not optional," "hospitals can be held accountable," and "whistleblowers are protected." He also highlighted the particular utility of the *False Claims Act of 1863* in holding institutions accountable for misconduct related to the declared COVID-19 pandemic.[\[4:1\]](#fn4) ## Court records - May 17, 2023: [Complaint](https://web.archive.org/web/20240522222129/https://prd-tsn-main-api.s3.amazonaws.com/article/3985f2e0-ec9e-4de7-9fb9-174aee879f75.pdf) - November 1, 2024: [First Amended Complaint](https://web.archive.org/web/20250315000949/https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/25562408/amended-complaint-final.pdf) - [Exhibit 24: COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provider Agreement](https://web.archive.org/web/20250415023845/https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/25897174/ex-24-covid19-vaccination-program-provider-agmt.pdf) - June 11, 2025: [District Court Decision](https://web.archive.org/web/20250719191054/https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/26000888/order-part-grant-part-denial-mtd.pdf) ## External links - [Justia](https://dockets.justia.com/docket/new-york/nywdce/1:2023cv00438/145751) --- 1. Mendenhall, W. (2025, March 10). *Federal Court VAERS argument 3-11-2025.* Covid Lawcast; Substack. [↩︎](#fnref1) 2. *Home.* Deb Conrad, Whistleblower. Retrieved July 16, 2025, from [↩︎](#fnref2) 3. *U.S. ex rel. Conrad v. Rochester Regional Health - Complaint and Demand for Jury Trial.* (2023, May 17). United States District Court for the Western District of New York. [↩︎](#fnref3) 4. Mendenhall, W. (2025, July 17). *COVID Accountability Victory: Court Rules in Favor of Healthcare Whistleblower*. Covid Lawcast; Substack. [↩︎](#fnref4) [↩︎](#fnref4:1) ## Further reading [Federal Court VAERS argument 3-11-2025US ex rel. Conrad v. Rochester Regional Health System![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/a2/fe/a2fe3cea-8d77-4702-87d4-ff1fd8934d08/content/images/icon/https-3A-2F-2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fpublic-2Fimages-2F1c6cf39c-a793-4251-a911-8fbabd92feb5-2Fapple-touch-icon-180x180.png)CovidLawCast.ComWarner Mendenhall![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/a2/fe/a2fe3cea-8d77-4702-87d4-ff1fd8934d08/content/images/thumbnail/https-3A-2F-2Fwarnermendenhall.substack.com-2Ftwitter-2Fsubscribe-card.jpg%3Fv%3D1186382776%26version%3D9)](https://www.covidlawcast.com/p/federal-court-vaers-argument-3-11) [COVID Accountability Victory: Court Rules in Favor of Healthcare WhistleblowerAn update on US ex rel. Conrad v. Rochester Regional Health System.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/a2/fe/a2fe3cea-8d77-4702-87d4-ff1fd8934d08/content/images/icon/https-3A-2F-2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fpublic-2Fimages-2F1c6cf39c-a793-4251-a911-8fbabd92feb5-2Fapple-touch-icon-180x180-1.png)CovidLawCast.ComWarner Mendenhall![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/a2/fe/a2fe3cea-8d77-4702-87d4-ff1fd8934d08/content/images/thumbnail/https-3A-2F-2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com-2Fpublic-2Fimages-2Fa12f65fa-ff7b-4f52-a941-ba2d5995bb43_101x101.png)](https://www.covidlawcast.com/p/covid-accountability-victory-court) ## Sign up for White Rose Intelligence Research and intelligence in defense of liberty Sign Up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Access premium research profiles by becoming a Patron